Foods high in Antioxidants

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Foods high in Antioxidants. Antioxidants in food are the most active oxidants that help the human body cope with free radicals. We have already talked about the destructive role of free radicals, which may have an excess amount in the body. This happens if the body’s antioxidant defense is weakened, or if there is an oxidative stress in the body.

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In this case, there is an increased need for antioxidants from food.

Coming from food proteins and fats, carbohydrates break down the enzymes, using free oxygen. This is a chain reaction. Molecules of antioxidants in food enter the oxidation reaction and interrupt it, turning it into less active form.

Do not be delusional about antioxidants. There has been a theory for about 50 years that antioxidants slow down the aging process. British scientists have proved this theory wrong. However, antioxidants help in the treatment of many diseases. Therefore, their role is still important.

Why Are Antioxidants in Food Useful?

Antioxidants in food are contained in natural numbers. Excess antioxidants from food cannot be harmful to your body.

However, too much antioxidant as a supplement, can destroy the human body. While using synthetic antioxidants, it is difficult to determine the dose, which is required for an individual organism. Therefore, it is better to use a natural source of antioxidants from food.

Let’s describe some groups of food that contains antioxidants.

Vitamins-Antioxidants in Food

Primarily, antioxidants are vitamin C and β-carotene (provitamin A).

Vitamin C is not synthesized in the body and does not accumulate.

The best sources for vitamin C are wild rose and black currant. Wild rose fruit can be infused in hot water and kept in a thermostat. Half a tablespoon of wild rose will satisfy the daily needs of the body. Rosehip infusion is not recommended for people with high levels of acidity within the stomach. In this case, you can use powdered dry hip. A teaspoon of dried rosehip powder contains 80% of the daily dose of vitamin C. Vitamin C is also found in fruits and vegetables. 2 servings of salad with fresh vegetables, including sweet pepper, dill, parsley, cabbage, or brussel sprouts will meet the daily requirements.

β-carotene accumulates in the body. This is a bright-orange pigment found in all orange fruits and vegetables, including green leafy vegetables, red carrots, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, pumpkin and cabbage. If you add 60g of carrots (a small carrot of 10 cm long) to a salad, you can meet the daily requirements of this antioxidant.

Vitamin E comes into the body with food. It is stored in the internal organs and fatty tissues. Antioxidants are in food such as eggs, liver, milk, whole-wheat flour, soybeans, oatmeal, vegetable oil, wild rose, and flax seeds. It is enough to eat a serving of oatmeal, a portion of bean sauce, a salad seasoned with vegetable oil during the day, in order to get your daily dose of vitamin E. Soy is a champion of alpha-tocopherol. A serving of soy dish weighing 100g absolutely satisfies the human need for vitamin E. Natural vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) is twice as effective than the synthetic one.

Lycopene as Antioxidant in Food

Lycopene is a pigment antioxidant. It is not synthesized in the body, so it comes from eating food. The best sources are whole fruit and vegetables of orange and red color. Particularly, there is a lot of it in tomato paste or tomato sauce, basically anything with tomatoes. But it is enough to eat one grapefruit, a piece of watermelon or guava weighing 100g, to meet the daily requirement of lycopene. Lycopene is not destroyed when the temperature rises. Therefore, 1 tablespoon of natural ketchup added to a dish, will reach your daily requirement for lycopene.

Lutein as Antioxidant in Food

The human body does not synthesize lutein so you have to get it from food. This pigment has high bioavailability and is digested by 80%. Most of all, it is accumulated in the eyes. The main property is preventing oxidative damage of cells. Daily requirement of lutein can be satisfied by eating a salad with spinach or kale. 50g of spinach or 50g of kale are a source of daily lutein requirement. It is enough to just eat 60g of pumpkin and not worry about the lack of this antioxidant.

Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants. We have described their properties and content in foods from other articles.

Either excess quantity or deficiency of antioxidants in the body, can affect the human health.

For a healthy person, antioxidants in food are the main source. Antioxidants in food act much more efficiently on the human bodythan synthetic ones. In addition, a person can enjoy delicious and healthy food.